HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

The quality of human beings is the greatest asset of a nation. Human capital is the body of knowledge possessed by the population and the capacity of the population to use that knowledge effectively. Human development is necessary to reduce poverty, to take advantage of modern technology and to modernize attitudes. Primitive attitudes and a backward social system are bad for economic development. In short, human development is an important condition for improving productivity and raising the standard of living of people. The Constitution of India also emphasizes on the development of human resources.

According to Prof. Amartya Sen, “the process of widening people’s choices and the level of well being they achieve are the core of the notion of human development. But regardless of the development, the three essential choices for people are to lead a long and healthy life, to acquire knowledge and to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living. Human development does not end there, other choices highly valued by many people range from political, economic, and social freedoms to opportunities for being creative and productive and enjoying self respect and guaranteed human rights.”

The development of human resources requires adequate provision of health services, water supply, education, housing, nutrition, and family welfare facilities which are essential determinants of the quality of life. The provision of one without the other is bound to affect the life adversely.

Three measures have been developed to judge human development. these are: